Maxum's 2400 SR3

Maxum's newest flagship runabout, the 2400 SR3, has the room and right stuff to get you where the fun is.

June 1, 2005

Up until now, the flotilla of two boats could have been any size, because although the wind is brisk, the pair of bowriders has been hugging the placid, lee shore of St. Petersburg on the Gulf of Mexico. But standing between them and the beautiful beaches of Egmont Key

is a run through open water with two- to three-foot seas. Fortunately, they're cruising in a pair of Maxum's newest and largest runabouts, the 2400 SR3, which are an honest 24 feet long and have a wave-splitting 22 degrees of deadrise at the stern. So while the ride is exhilarating, the fear factor is nil.

Earlier at the docks at Thunder Marine on this chamber-of-commerce day, the skipper settles into the captain's bucket and adjusts it and the tilt Dino wheel to his preference before setting off. The instrument clusters sit high above the wheel for easy viewing in the sculpted dash, colored tan to minimize reflections in the tinted safety glass windshield. There's a smoked Plexiglas visor over the Faria fog-free instruments, presumably to shade them, but is more likely there just because it looks cool. A nice touch is the flat tray just above the wheel with a lip that allows storage of all kinds of driver paraphernalia like suntan oil, or a cell phone for those who can't give it a rest. For things like your wallet and keys there's a lockable glove box to the driver's right under the gunwale.

maxum

Turning the key fires up the MerCruiser MAG MPI 350, which pumps out 300 hp and sports a two-prop Bravo III outdrive. The other test boat is equipped with the 5.7L (also 350 cubic inches) MerCruiser, which has 250 ponies at your disposal.
The seating position is ideal for a 6-footer with the field of vision well below the windshield header. To catch some breeze in the 80-degree temperature, the seat bolster arch is flipped up and puts the driver's head above the glass. Engaging the flush-mounted shift control is very smooth thanks to major improvements by MerCruiser in its clutch design that reduces noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH)
by 70 to 85 percent according to recent tests. The result is a near-electronic control feel that'll make tasks like docking much easier due to precise throttle control and a better-defined neutral position.

After clearing the manatee zone, the throttle is jammed, and the 2400 SR3 smoothly accelerates out of the hole with little bow rise, planing off in just 4.5 seconds. After switching boats, it doesn't take long to figure out that this is the preferred engine train. The 2400 with the 250-hp, 5.7L MerCruiser with the carbureted fuel delivery system is, as you would expect, slower out of the hole and also has more bow rise before reaching plane in 5.5 seconds. The time to reach 30 mph is the most significant difference, with the 350 MAG MPI model hitting the mark in 7.6 seconds, eclipsing the carbureted model by almost two seconds (9.5 seconds). Handling on both boats is nimble and effortless, and when you throw it into a hard turn, rewards the driver with a perfect arc of their choosing. At top speed the difference between boats isn't as huge, with the 350 MAG version hitting 50.2 mph versus 47.6 mph. But for those who want to take it to the 'Maxum,' they can get the MerCruiser 8.1L MPI, which puts out a lusty 375 hp, but costs nearly $9,000 more than the 350. By comparison, the 350 MAG MPI with Bravo III is a comparative bargain of an upgrade over the 5.7L carbureted model Alpha I model at $4,600 more.

Although the beach is in the lee of Egmont Key, there's a pesky one-foot ground swell that prevents them from pulling right up to the beach and deploying the four-step stainless-steel bow ladder like they did on their last stop. Instead, the anchor is pulled out of the same hatch and dropped into the four-foot water. The cleat is off to the side so you don't get a dead-even pull, but it's not really a problem unless you're anchoring in rough water. The crew wades ashore briskly, having heard stories about the healthy shark population from a local, but they don't lose even one person on the way in.

It's about a mile-long hike to Fort Dade, a gun battery built around the turn of the century to counter the threat during the Spanish American War. Since the enemy never materialized, it was abandoned in 1923 to the tourists who now roam its massive walls.

Lunch beckons, so the crew does the shark shuffle back to the Maxums, and the hooks are pulled before heading back north. Because the seas are coming from the beam, there's a slight list since this boat isn't equipped with trim tabs, which aren't even listed as available options, sort of a head-scratcher. Although the SR3 runs remarkably level, this model features an L-lounge in the cockpit, so even in calm conditions you might have a ballast imbalance if your sumo wrestling buddies decide to sit on the same side. Fortunately, aftermarket tabs allow you to easily correct this at a reasonable price.

One of the differences you notice between the Maxum 2400 SR3 and a standard-issue runabout is that there's no sun pad on the stern, but instead you get a stern locker with an abbreviated seat on top that's a great place for skiers to get ready. The hatch opens up to reveal a huge amount of storage for bulky items like fenders ' just like on larger cruisers. There's even a freshwater shower fed by a 10-gallon tank that's just the ticket for rinsing off saltwater after wading. The huge-storage theme continues throughout the boat, and in addition to the usual under-seat compartments found, there are twin in-floor hatches large enough for skies, kneeboards or cases of extra beverages. The portside console has space for an optional portable head with plenty of wriggling room left over for changing out of wet suits. The consoles are so big you can even order the starboard-side one equipped with a quarter-berth to give the kids a place to take a snooze out of the sun when their internal batteries run out.

The cockpit arrangement is great for boaters with small kids, as it provides plenty of gunwale height and doesn't have an open walkthrough to the swim platform ' until you remove the filler cushions so your guests can enter without stepping on the well-executed heavy-duty marine-grade vinyl. The vinyl features ActiveGuard, which protects it from harmful UV rays and mildew, while guarding it against spills and dirt.
Standard seating is a stern bench, captain's bucket, and back-to-back lounger, which is a good replacement for those who miss having a sunpad. An optional co-pilot bucket seat, like the one on the test boats, gives you an L-lounge for more seating. One of the must-have options is the starboard-side entertainment station, which gives you a stainless-steel sink with a spigot/shower that would be great for
giving dishes a quick spritz after snacking. Underneath is a portable cooler that you can access without removing, and there's a standard cockpit table stowed away in a dedicated holder in the port console.
One of the unique features of the Maxum is its 'beam-forward' design that you really notice when heading toward the bow lounge. Up here you have room for adults to sit comfortably facing each other without a territorial war of the feet breaking out. The bow seats are wide and comfortable, and there's even a real rearward facing seat at the bow.

Base price for the 2400 SR3 with the 220-hp, 5.0L MerCruiser runs $38,358, but this setup may not give you the performance you want, so consider upgrading to the 350 MAG MPI with the Bravo III outdrive, which brings the MSRP $45,589. The test boat is optioned with items like the bow ladder ($177), entertainment center ($315), portable head ($108), remote CD stereo transom control ($162), Bimini top ($208), galvanized trailer ($4,154), and premium package, which gives you a compass and depth sounder ($462), bringing the total to $51,175. For the money, you're getting a large, well-equipped runabout with plenty of performance, great looks, excellent handling and attention to detail, for a price that's less than quite a few boats on the market. Medium price, maximum fun, how can you beat that?

By Alan Jones

June 2005

The Verdict:

A good looking, trailerable, sporty bowrider with tons of storage that's perfect for skiing families who boat on larger bodies of water. The cockpit is spacious and safe for small kids. Any boat this size should have trim tabs as an option.

LOA 24'
Beam 8'6"
Weight 4,526 lbs.
Fuel 70 gal.
Top Speed 50.2 mph
(w/300-hp MerCruiser 350 MAG MPI)
Time To Plane 4.5 seconds
0-30 mph 7.6 seconds
Decibels @ Idle 61 dB-A
Decibels @ 30 mph 83 dB-A
Decibels @ WOT 92 dB-A
Base Price $38,358
(w/220-hp, 5.0L MerCruiser)
Price As Tested $51,175
(w/300-hp MerCruiser 350 MAG MPI and trailer)
Hull Warranty 5 years
NMMA Certified? Yes

Maxum
800 S. Gay St., Suite 1700
Knoxville, TN 37929
(800) 346-6596
www.maxumboats.com
www.maxumboats.com